Yesterday I sat on a community panel on the topic of teen mental health.That was surprising, but not as surprising as sitting between two te

I was prepared to share my insights with the students; but what I received from them exceeded my expectations. I received a profound hope fo

Except for the people I have known for many years, my life looks nothing like it did five years ago. I do not live in the same place, do the

Let us look deeply inside the children in our lives. The “me” I described in the above paragraph was overlooked and lost in all my survival

This book defines me as a writer. It is an interweaving narrative that almost defies description. One of my endorsers for Jeannie's BRAV

Then one glorious day, I sat back on the therapy couch and said, “This was never my fault.” In all of my “what if” moments, the idea of my i

I used all my skill as an instructional designer when writing BRAVE. I have read books that throw graphic abuse details at you on the first

We can’t fully help others without addressing the deep impact of mental health in our homes, churches, schools, and communities. Simply addr

My blanket of brokenness had lots of layers. It had the parts I rejected and the parts I created to please the world. It also had a thousand

And finally, the 6th most common reaction: Thank you. You are welcome. Those who are saying thank you are the reason I was willing to be “cr

I am well aware that my book and the truth I tell will be a powerful statement about the effects of childhood trauma. The vulnerability requ

I did not come to this place of sharing easily or quickly. It was necessary to heal before sharing. It is important to share selectively and

This is really what saying #MeToo means. We are saying that there is nothing wrong with us. The longer we are silent, the greater the power

As I began to heal, I saw the world around me for what I felt like was the first time. I was like a small child discovering the world. There

The day I walked into therapy, I got on a train to a new destination. Scott saw me departing and jumped on board. We have traveled over moun

I was the child who stopped singing. One Sunday morning when I was about eight, I refused to sing the song, Jesus Loves Me. “Why aren’t you

The second realization had to do with manicures. I knew, without understanding the language being spoken, that no one wanted to give me a ma

This is the human search for normal. Then one day, someone does the unthinkable and we say, “He seemed like a normal guy.” Yes, he did becau

“Please, just keep looking at me and I will be OK.” I was speaking to another woman who also got pulled over ‘for further inspection’ at a

Then, one day, I was driving across town and fighting the ever-present anxiety, when I suddenly I realized that my mind was in the middle of